How To Shim A Door Hinge

Slide the shim behind the hinge that needs the extra spacing then drive the screws back in tightly and check the operation of the door.

How to shim a door hinge.

Although you can purchase hinge shims there s no need. Install shims behind other hinges if necessary. Job sites generally have all types of scrap material lying around such as plastic paper wood and metal. All have been used at one time or another for shimming hinges.

Slip a 1 16 in thick cardboard shim strip behind each hinge photos with steps 1 and 2 below. Save the money and cut your own hinge shims out of poster board or thin cardboard. This job can be a hassle especially if you have painted trim. Most residential interior door applications call for 3 5 hinge shims while the larger hinge shims are designed for larger interior exterior steel doors and frames.

Remove the screws from the hinge you need to shim using a screwdriver or a drill and screwdriver bit. Hinge shims are available in three sizes. Close the door and check the spacing. Hold door hinge against cardboard and use utility knife to cut around hinge.

There are many different materials used for the purpose of shimming hinges but you should choose wisely rather than just grab whatever s handy. This common problem can be caused by a poorly installed door a jamb that has settled. Fix doors that will not latch. If the door has three hinges remove the screws from the middle hinge as well.

Interior doors can have misalignment between the latch bolt and striker plate. There is a simple fix to align your door. 3 5 4 and 4 5. So try this trick first.

If your door doesn t shut properly it might mean it s skewed inside the door jamb. There are several ways to fix this issue but none seemed to work for me. In the past if a steel door needed a minor adjustment a specialized tool was used to bend the hinge. Moving striker plate widening the opening in striker plate and door frame using 3 screws to draw.